Flower protective system



April 28; 1970 L. B. WALLERSITEIN ETAL FLOWER PROTECTIVE SYSTEM Original Filed April 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOP/VFY A ril 28,- 1970 I. B. WALLERSTEIN ETAL 3,508,372

FLOWER PROTECTIVE SYSTEM Original Filed April 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet a United States Patent M 3,508,372 FLOWER PROTECTIVE SYSTEM Lawrence B. Wallerstein, 87 Daisy Farms Drive, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10804, and William Bachman, 1000 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10021 Application Apr. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 189,888, now Patent No. 3,271,922, dated Sept. 13, 1966, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 856,251, Nov. 30, 1959. Divided and this application Sept. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 579,066 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Sept. 13, 1984, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. B65b 25/02; B31b 49/00; B31c 13/00 U.S. Cl. 533 3 'Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a rectangular wrapper in a package for readily damageable poinsettia petals and the like, in which, by use of cohesive rather than adhesive material at the opposite ends of a wrapper an enclosure may be formed which will not adhere to the petals and will not damage the same.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 856,251, filed November 30, 1959; and through intermediate application Ser. No. 189,888, filed April 24, 1962, now Patent 3,271,922, dated Sept. 13, 1966, the present application being a division of said application Ser. No. 189,888.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for protecting flowers and it particularly relates to a method for wrapping and protecting the same upon handling, shipping and display.

It has been found that it is possible to gather together the flowers and wrap a circular, thin, flexible paper band around them, having opposite cohesive coatings, so that the cohesive coatings at the end of the band will adhere together without adhering to the flower.

In the preferred method, the hand is used first to gather the petals of the delicate flower together, and then the band is wrapped around the flower, with the opposite cohesive coatings on the flexible paper band adhering to one another.

Then the band may be slipped off the flowers in an upward direction after the shipment handling has been completed and the flowers are to be placed upon display.

In a less preferred procedure it has been found that a relatively simple sleeve formed of a strip of paper or other light flexible material may be utilized to form a circular band around the lower portion of the stem below a flower or leaf display, and such wrapper then may 'be moved up along the stem to enclose the leaves or petals without injury thereto, and then subsequently may be lifted off to permit the petals and leaves to be spread without loss in their original attractive form or shape.

It has been particularly found that when the leaves or petals are uniformly collapsed together from below by a relatively flexible conforming sleeve, that there will be no damage to the same, and at the same time they may be readily permitted to revert to their proper position when the sleeve is removed upwardly from the petals.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wrapper according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an opposite view of the wrapper of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view, illustrating how the wrapper is applied to the flowers or petals.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view, indicating how the petals may be gathered up and enclosed in the wrapper before the cohesive coatings are closed.

3,508,372 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 FIG. 5 is a side perspective view, showing the closure of the wrapper, with the petals in position and with the cohesive coatings being caused to adhere to each other.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view, showing the final wrapped petals or flowers.

FIG. 7 is a transverse horizontal sectional view upon the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view, showing how a group of cut flowers may be positioned on one of the wrappers having opposite cohesive coatings at the ends thereof.

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view, showing the wrapper of FIG. 8 enclosing a group of flowers.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, showing how the wrapper of the present invention may be applied to a potted plant.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, there is shown a flexible paper sheet A which is desirably merchandised or supplied in the form of a pad, and which is designed to be formed into the upwardly divergent conical protective sleeves C, D and E.

These sheets A may desirably have two opposite facing end strips of pressure sensitive cohesive material at 10 and 11, and at the outside face of the sheet or the inside face of the sheet, there is printed in space 12 instructions as to usage.

This cohesive will adhere only to itself and not the plant leaves or petals, and all traces of hydrocarbon solvents should be removed by thorough drying from the cohesive material.

This cohesive material generally consists of latex base adhesive, such as an aqueous dispersion of synthetic or natural rubber which may be applied to the paper in very thin coatings.

The cohesive material also will permit attachment of the various sheets A of FIGS. 1 and 2 when they are used in a stack or in a pad.

The rubber coating material is of uncured nature and it will not so strongly adhere to the oppositely facing coated material as to prevent either removal of the sheets A of FIGS. 1 and 2 from one another or prevent unwrapping where desired of the flower from the position of FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10.

Desirably, the cohesive should be of such a type as to assure attachment of the oppositely facing end coatings 10 and 11 when placed in overlapping sleeve shape indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, but not so as to prevent the contacting cohesively connected faces to be readily removed from one another. 1

Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 to 5, the plant F may have. delicate petals G extending outwardly from the stems H.

In attaching the protective sheet A to form the con ical sleeve C, the overlapping cohesive end surfaces 10 and 11 may be turned around so as to be opposite each other and so as to cross each other, as indicated successive- 1y from the positions at J, K and L in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, with the position of L indicating the final cross pattern at 13 which appears to give satisfactory adhesion and permits a comfortable wrapping of the petals Without damage thereto, leaving a greater space or opening 14 at the top than at 15 on the bottom.

This overlap is indicated at 16 in FIG. 7, and although the flowers will be gathered inside of the concial space as indicated in FIG. 7, they will be upwardly pressed together and they will not be at all injured or subjected to damage.

This criss-cross pattern, as indicated at 13 in FIG. 6; 18 in FIG. 9; and 19 in FIG. 10, permits a much wider adjustment and gives a wide variety of conical shapes C, D and E to accommodate various shapes and form of flowers.

It will be noted that, according to FIGS. 4, and 6, the conical sleeve is formed directly upon the flower as the petals are. being gathered together by the hand M.

Less preferably, the petals may be gathered together and the conical wrapper shown at L may be formed below on the stem H and moved upwardly (see FIG. 6).

Where the sleeve completely encircles and is frictionally held in position by its contact with the gathered together leaves or petals H, this sleeve retention as indicated in FIG. 6 will hold the leaves or petals in position without damage, will permit considerable handling in connection with shipment from hothouse to florist or from florist to customer and will permit considerable rough handling from tradesmen or boys without damaging the delicate flowers, petals or leaves.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, a group of cut flowers N may be placed in the, central portion 12 between the oppositely facing cohesive coatings and 11, and the flowers may then be wrapped as indicated at FIG. 9 with the cohesive coatingscrossing at 18 and with the stems projecting as indicated at 21, 25, and with the blossoms being fully protected.

In the arrangment shown in FIG. 10, there. is a potted flower E, having the stem 26 extending upwardly from the pot 27 and the flowers thereof may also be wrapped by the same form of sleeve, with the cohesive coatings oppositely facing on the ends of the strip E, joined together as indicated at 19 in criss-cross fashion.

In all instances, the conical wrappers C, D, and A may be slid off the flowers upwardly and the petals or leaves will immediately spring back to their natural position.

This close wrapping of the leaves or flowers apparently conserves the moisture, extends the freshness for a prolonged period of time, and does not in any way injure or mar the desirable and attractive appearance of the leaves or petals.

It is important that the sleeves C, D and E be of such diameter they are held in position by the leaves or petals G, N and P without substantially pressing them together and without tending to fall downwardly along the stern.

When the flower or plant is received at the place of display, the sleeves C, D and E may be slipped off in an upward direction 14, and the leaves or petals of the flower or plant will immediately spring back to the position indicated in FIG. 3. 1

It is thus apparent that the present applicants have provided a simple readily applicable inexpensive system of packaging delicate leaf or flower plants for handling before and after display in a florist shop.

The present invention is particularly applicable to protection of poinsettia, Easter lilies, gloxinia, chrysanthemum, birds of paradise, lily of the valley, daisies and similar plants which require protection during shipment in trucks and by messenger, and where if the blossoms are wrapped individually in tissue paper which is then knotted, there frequently will be damage. In general, the present system lifts the petals or leaves upwardly toward the ascending stem and away from the lower stem portion.

The pressure sensitive cohesive material may be of a natural or synthetic latex or aqueous emulsion, desirably devoid of hydrocarbon solvents, and in view of the nature of the elastomeric base and plasticizer and resins included, the tacky nature of the adhesive is such that it will only adhere to itself and not to the leaves, petals )1 other objects.

This permits the sheets to be made in the form of a pad with the individual sheets being readily separated from one another.

The enclosure will not only protect the leaves and petals from rough handling by florists, tradesmen, shipping personnel and delivery boys, but will also protect the moisture in the leaves and petals and prevent drying hereof by cross currents of air.

The flowing of convection air currents and the evaporation of moisture from leaves and petals is reduced to a minimum.

The invention of the present application clearly distinguishes from Lane, Patent No. 2,144,263, and Morris, Patent No. 2,720,055.

Morris, Patent No. 2,720,055, discloses a heavy tube 27 of one piece which certainly is not of the type which could be used for delicate flowers and which are designed to carry the entire tree as contrasted to the present device which merely encircles the flower.

There is no give as would be obtained by the light pressure adhesive at the overlap of the applicants sheet and very heavy machinery has to be utilized to achieve the desired results with emphasis being placed upon the stiffness of the sleeve and the fact that it is not subject to indentation and also serves to actually compress the entire tree together.

Whereas the present sleeve is open on both ends, the Morris patent, No. 2,720,055, sleeve is closed.

In respect to Lane, Patent No. 2,144,263, this is merely directed to making tie bands which have creases C to prevent curling and which are placed in a stack P.

Lane, Patent No. 2,144,263, emphasizes the prevention of curling tendencies which is achieved by creasing.

In the present arrangement the light adhesive connection permits a yield to permit the sleeve to take a conical or other shape and will merely lightly and frictionally hold the leaves so that they may spread immediately after the removal of the sleeve.

This has not been accomplished by light adhesion of cohesive material; and the sleeve will not tend to fall downwardly upon the stem. The sleeve may adjust to a conical shape to accommodate itself to the petal shape.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. A system for protecting and packaging delicate leaved and petaled flowers and plants comprising providing a rectangular wrapper with oppositely facing and cohesive coatings, which will adhere to one another and not to the leaves or petals of the flower forming a conical sleeve around the petals while bringing the oppositely facing cohesive coatings together, and finally enclosing the leaves and petals together in a package, with the petals and leaves compressed together upwardly, away from their lower stem, said enclosure taking a conical form, slightly divergent upwardly, said opposite cohesive strips extending across each other in criss-cross fashion.

2. A system for packaging readily damageable poinsettia petals and the like in which the petals are gathered upwardly and inwardly and lightly frictionally engaged by a rectangular strip of flexible paper to form a conical group of gathered together petals; comprising using a rectangular wrapper rounded in conical form of thin flexible paper having a height slightly greater than the height of the gathered petals and cohesive bands of an adhesive material on opposite ends and on opposite faces of the wrapper, said cohesive bands being attached to one another to form a closely fitting conical enclosure which may be slipped upwardly without damage to gather the petals for handling and transportation and which may he slipped upwardly off the petals for subsequent display and sale without damage to the petals, permitting the petals to revert to their ungathered extended condition, said cohesive material being adherent to the other cohesive material but not to the petals and not to the paper not coated with the cohesive material.

3. A system for protecting and packaging delicate leaved and petaled flowers and plants comprising a rectangular wrapper with oppositely facing and cohesive coatings, which will adhere to one another and not to the leaves or petals of the flower forming a conical sleeve around the petals while bringing the oppositely facing 5 6 cohesive coatings together, said wrapper enclosing the 2,303,352 12/1942 Goldberg 53-3 leaves and petals together in a package, with the petals 3,271,922 9/1966 Wallerstein et al. 53-3 and leaves compressed together upwardly, away from their lower stem, said enclosure taking a conical form, OTHER REFERENCES slightly divergent upwardly, said opposite cohesive strips 5 Ser. 153,696, fil d Sept- 23, 1952, Abstract, pike, extending across each other in criss-cross fashion. VOL 2 1137 References Cited WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS US. Cl. X.R. 563,962 7/1896 Hinde. 10

1,774,906 9/1930 Stone. 53200; 36, 94 

